The South: A Buried Tombstone [Completed]

[Ryuzaki]

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The South: The Buried Tombstone
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"Exorcist team under the command of Marshall Cloud stationed at the site of ancient Partha, this is Wacowski. We have arrived at the outer doors, and there are forty seven corpses out here. We've lined them up and will transport them back to the Order for proper burial when we collect the package."

Replacing his golem, Exorcist Wacowski walks down the line of corpses. They were mostly finder personel, some supporters, and likely some native guides.

Wacowski's team was made out of four Exorcists, 18 Finders and 12 native guides/workers. They were going to unearth something from a crypt, and it would take a good deal of man power as the outer stone slabs which made the gates were sealed.

The slabs themselves were engraved with words that had mostly worn off, in a language the exorcist could not speak (Latin) and neither could the locals.

Located in the center where the slabs meet was a narrow hole, which they had shone a light down to see it was merely a hole. Perhaps something were to be placed inside, perhaps not. Either way, if something were to go inside of it, and should this place be sealed by sorcery, it would need to be a power of some sort. No mere key would open this. Lacking the key, and the means to translate the inscription, Wacowski orders a search of all the corpses belongings.

They had been there for several days before contact was lost, they should have at least translated the door.

"Over here sir!" Shouts Francois, a new Exorcist, eager to please. Running over, Francois hands over a scrap of paper with broken words written on it. This would be where the engraving had been worn away by time.

"....aled u...... s..c.. .. time i.. ne....ed, ..m....r.... ..er.. sl....p..
T..e Ear.... c..rs.. b..rs en..r.., ..e....s ener.... ..s ne....e.."

"Makes no sense to me." Wacowski states matter of factly, handing the note back to Francois. At any rate, set up the camping equipment, something of this size won't be completed overnight.

Later in the night, the workers were removing the last of the sand from the stone doors, the camp had been set up, and the crew had begun to prepare dinner.

Smoking a cigarette, Wacowski pulls his golem free for a continuation of his report to the science division.

"Yo guys, this is Wacowski"

"Wacowski! Reever here. How's the schedule?"

"In the morning we'll begin prying those gigantic doors apart, as for now..." an interuption causes Wacowski to lower the phone a bit.

"BOSS!" practically screaming Francois shouts from near the doors "I think I got it! That note! The key! Hang on I'm going to try something!"

"Wacowski, whats that?"

"Thats the FNG. He says he's gonna open the doors for us right now."

Moments later, a shrill scream echoes through the camp.

"Wacwoski! What the hell is going on!" Reever shouts into his receiver.

"Hold on!" Cupping a hand over the golem Wacowski shouts "What is that! Francois! Report!" More screams pierce the night, the sound of rustling canvas, pots being overturned, and a few lanters have been overturned on tents, burning them *The note is burned here*

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Now Reevers perspective - everything is from his receiver

Muffled - "They're getting up! Francois......." The voice ends in a pitch that should have been too high for a man.

(Wacowski) "Burn them! Step back from those things! What are you piss-ants doing!"

Sounds of tearing, screaming, ripping and weapons fire comes through the receiver.

Muffled - "They......stopping!......how..............."

Muffled - "Get Ba........Jones, Liner!............can you hea........."

Muffled - "Get it off! Get it off!..........."

Muffled - ".......pulled out his d........spine!"

(Wacowski) "Men! To Me! Circle up! Backs to each other!"

Muffled - "....owski......beh....you......."

Wacowski's transmission ends abruptly in the midst of a tormented scream.

Staring at the receiver, heart pumping, Reever can not even place down the object. His nerves have locked down his motor senses, he can not fathom what has happened to the second team he sent to the site of ancient partha.

Message from Komui: Priority Class

Gentleman, you must make haste to this location, and prevent whatever is behind that door from leaving. We've lost over forty personel to this things traps alone. In Lebanon, a Noah attempted to unearth something, but it wasn't there.

This could be related, if it is, then they want it. And I want it destroyed. Call records are available for you to listen to, I would suggest you do that, its all we have except the location.

Move out.

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http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/4222/cryptmapcopypw8.jpg


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Rules:

- The mission is to arrive at the site, gain entry and prevent the Noah from doing so - also destroy the contents.

- You can not open the doors - however you could investigate the words and it might lead to something.

- If you can speak latin, you can gain knowlegde of what was written on the note via reading off the doors.

- The terrain is sand, sand and more sand. The only structure other than dunes is the top of the unearthed crypt, this can not be destroyed. Anyone can rp coming across this, there is nothing special about 'finding' it, everyone actually knows where to go.

- There are also remnants of the other teams, as well as all of their bodies, mangled clawed and chewed.

- Allen Walker will be accompanying the Exorcists and can be RPed with. He cannot fight the Noah or the created Akuma Characters

- New rule Whenever you post, you must clearly state where you are in relation to other characters. This is done in order to avoid confusion as to character locations. GMs will edit in your post where you are if you fail to do so.


Current Participants:

Exorcists(1 More Spot)
- Jacques
- Enishi
- Raphael
- Zero
- Dimitri

Noah(1 more spot)
- Constantine
- Nicholas


Akuma(Unlimited)
- Dinnin

[Ryuzaki]

"My friends, the time is upon us to welcome someone special I've been saving. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Cackling to himself the Earl looks to me, and hands Lero over.

"Lero Lero! Why does Lero have to go Lero!" The umbrella squirms and squeals in my grasp, clearly unhappy about leaving the Earls side.

"Because you were the only one other than me present when we put that one to sleep the last time."

Suddenly growing silent, Lero mumbles ".....that"

"Is there a problem Lero?" The earl asks in utter shock, feigned of course. Taking a bite of his snack, the Earl gives a comforting look to his Noah.

"Lero...doesn't like that one...we shouldn't use him." shivering slightly, Lero recalls scenes of slaughter and mayhem from ages past. There was only one reason to wake this one up, the Earls plans were advancing.

"Oh me oh my, there isn't anything wrong with the man, he just lacks the basics of ah, human interaction. You know his life, he just has some troubles with being misunderstood." Laughing heartily, the Earl speaks of this fellow as if I were simplay a misunderstood youth.

"Lero knows that! Lero doesn't li..." Interrupted by the Earls glare growing icy, Lero remains silent.

"Now, my family and friends, your goal is Ancient Partha, the desert actually. Retrieve our long lost comrade, just ah, be sure you do things properly. Even in a slumber, his power lingers around the place, due to its nature."

"Mind telling us who we are going after?" I voiced the obvious question on everyone's minds, however the Earl gives a small shake of his head.

"That would ruin the surprise - you'll know him once he wakes. Now, through slumber and resurrection, the cycle continues. Perhaps his long time nemesis will be there ~~<3"

[Fect]

Jacques, almost zombie-like, walked to his "transportation," the hot-air balloon with giant fans. The ship moved, leaving from its dock. A dream descended:

The underground cave seemed surreal. A great surge of power was released; enough to awaken and rip open hell. The black aura consumed the room. Then the woman's voice spoke, through a brooch connecting his coat: "I bear the name Lamia. But what is your name?"

"I am Jacques."

"But you are a Tabula Rasa. How do you bear a name full of such pride and injustice?"

These last words struck him as fancy. 'Me, a Tabula Rasa? Why would I have nothing to taint it?' Jacques thought.

Lamia responded to this: "Something else will show itself."

A deep, familiar voice spoke. "Speak, ye Judgement."


The dream ended, and they had just flown over Cyprus. The captain made a call over the intercom: "We will arrive in 30 minutes. Please prepare to make a jump when you have arrived."

[Ryuzaki]

Enishi:

"Mister! Mister! Where are we leaving to!?" the young boy asked Enishi as he walked in front of him waving his hands.

"I already ready told you, we're going to a foster home, or something..." He looked at the boys eyes who looked puzzled. "You do have your parents still right..." The boy looked down playing with his fingers and peered back up to Enishi.

"No.. I don't know where mother and father could be... I just wish I can find them soon, very soon..." Tearing up a little the boy rubbed away his tears and looked at Enishi. "Do you have any parents mister?"

"Tch... that's none of your business boy, now let's keep moving..." Enishi walked head of the boy who stayed still for a little bit and tried to catch up to Enishi. "How the hell did I get myself in this mess..."

Flashback...

"Damn it... the reserved food dropped out of the bag somewhere when I was walking! How in the hell am I suppose to get food now!?" Looking into his leather pouch, Enishi looked for any other edible things that he brought for his journey. "That damn Finder.... if he isn't telling me the truth about there being Exorcists and Akuma here, I'll search for him myself and slit his damn throat!" Hearing off into the distance, Enishi could hear a faint scream north of where he was standing.

"Help me!! There's monsters!!!" The boy cried out while the Level 2 Akuma swarmed around him, ready to devour his small body. The tall lanky Akuma slashed at the boy ready to kill him but suddenly in a blink of an eye his arm was cut in half, then his shoulders exploded immediately after.

All the Akuma looked back to see who the attacker was only to have all of there heads sliced off clean with one stroke of the sword.

"Disgusting Akuma, they root in hell for all I care..." Swiping his sword through the air to wipe away the blood stains, the boy stood still silent and shocked. "You should be grateful that I was passing through here boy..." Enishi looked at all of the human corps that were laying by the boy, they were all brutally slaughtered by the Akuma. He sheathed back Jinchu and continued down his path to search for the Exorcists.

"Wait... please..." The boy called for Enishi, who didn't turn back to acknowledge him. "Please! Can you please help me mister!" Enishi around to see the little boy in tears. "I don't know what.. to..." Tears continued to pour down his cheeks.

"What's your name boy...?" Enishi threw his sword over his shoulder.

"M-my.... name... is Jacob..." Brushing away his tears, he stood up and looked at the bloodstains on his palms.

"Jacob... come then... I'll get you to a place where they can take you in..."

Flashback ends...

"Jacob... there's a house across that small stream, I'll take you there... alright...?" Enishi glanced at the boy who smiled at him.

"Thank you, thank you mister...."

They reached the fairly large house, and Enishi told the owners what had happened and headed out of the yard.

"Wait mister!!" The boy ran out of the house to say his final farewells. "I never got your name mister!"

"Hmph... Enishi.... Enishi Seta...." The boy smiled and waved goodbye to him, hoping that one day he could meet the person who saved him once again...

"Are you smiling, sister? I know you wanted me to help the boy... but I swear, I won't let your death be in vain. I'll take the lives of these Exorcists and Akuma soon enough..."

[Fect]

Jumping down from the balloon 50 feet off the ground, it began to turn around. The camp was only a few kilometers past the town: he could run there and back in 15 minutes or less, according to the map. It's way too hot... I like it cold, or someplace where I can swim at least if it's hot. Jacques took off his jacket.

The Order hadn't gotten any more finders to the location, since they had found what they had needed to. The Hotel was on the opposite side of the city. A woman had fainted in the street; her husband tending to her and carrying her back inside. What was supposed to be the river had been reduced to a small stream. People around him were talking about the Order and how it had unearthed something, and that's why the river was drying up. Jacques knew better, and the hotel looked dead.

Walking inside, there were two people: the owner, and another worker. The owner was pleading with the worker, "Please don't go, you know it's not my fault..."

"I'm going to go search for better wages, since the hotel hasn't had any customers for the last two weeks from that mess outside of town, and despite your promises, I haven't seen any of my promised money." Storming out of the hotel, the worker left, and the manager seemed desperate.

"Uh... sir, I'd like to get a room."

His eyes lit up: "We'll need to squeeze a lot of money out of ya."

Jacques nodded, "So, what's the fee?"

"20 thousand francs per night."

20 thousand?!

"We're also the only hotel in town."

"Alright, well, I'll do it only because you're in such a hole."

Paying the manager 100,000 francs up front, Jacques took his key and walked upstairs, dropping off a few things, including the pouch which carried the orb from Rave's "insanity."

[Undying]

Somewhere in the desert

Dinnin

Dinnin was moving in a straight line towards where Jarlaxle had pointed him. His mission was to secure at least some of whatever if was inside the tomb, preferably most of it. Though Jarlaxle's explanation was rather vague, Dinnin gathered that there was something linked to their inability to escape the Earl's control.

And if he could be freed from the Earl and the Noah, he could go on his murderous rampage freely. Well, relatively, he did not know whether he could become stronger than a Noah.

Either way, the road was long and the sun scorching, but to him, it hardly mattered. Not only that his black skin would take a longer time to burn under the sun, but also his Akuma properties rendered him naturally resistant to strong light and heat.

He remembered vaguely that Jarlaxle warned him about Exorcists. Well, dead Exorcists then.

[Fect]

Jacques decided to leave and do a little investigation on his own. His nap felt good. He put on his jacket, knowing the desert nights to be incredibly cold. He walked towards the site of the disaster. All that was left was a pile of sand, and burnt ashes. The crypt was downstairs; Jacques walked in and then had to run out.

Allen Walker sat outside: "Seems like you don't take a liking to death."

Jacques told him, "Well, I'd rather not make a habit of making his acquaintance."

Allen Walker reported, "I went down to the crypt and a darkness consumed the room. There's writing on the doors, but they're a bit destroyed, and I can't read it. There's V's where there should be U's, and it's in another language."

Is there any way to get a rubbing?

"Allen, could you get a rubbing of the wall for me?"

"No can do, good sir."

"Why not?!"

"Because I'll see you back at the hotel. It drained me to look and go down there. And something behind that door has a black soul."

Allen walked back to the town. Jacques decided to keep his real eye closed and look with his other one. The tomb was in fact covered with the black energy, but the print on the walls had some kind of red print on them. I bet the rubbing released more of this energy and destroyed the expedition. I'll come back and read it when Allen's feeling better.

With that, Jacques walked back towards town, the moon still high in the sky.

[Z_Blitz]

"Jacques... I brought you your chute, captain said we jump off after half an hour, so I thought I'd check your chute once when you put it on and you check mine."

Raphael showed no fear of the height that their hot air balloon flew above. It was rather rare of Raphael to portray any feeling in general, and this was no exception. His stout stance and stability on the ground made it look like he was confident albeit it being his first time jumping off an airbone craft.

- A couple of hours after that -

Cryptology was one of my more amusing pass times. Deciphering books, logs, and wooden plates was a thrill to someone who had hid his face from the social events. I walked up to Jacques and Allen, willing to lend them a hand in whatever they're so dumbfounded about.

"I can help you read the thing, but you're pretty much on your own when it comes to putting the puzzle pieces together. Now then... Once you're feeling better, can you take me there, Allen?"

The bleached exorcist nodded with a kind smile across his face. It was rather strange how a man, so young of age and cursed in fate, could display so much emotion with a gesture simple, yet innocent like a smile.

[Fect]

Jacques wandered back up to his room. Probably the only businessperson in the building, a woman, had fainted on the floor. Jacques knocked on the door to the owner and told him. He used his master key and they put her in her bed, and she was holding a note. Allen wasn't kidding. That place exhausts you from just being there. I'm a bit glad Raphael's here. We need more brains, especially if that's what the crypt does to a person. Probably what's been plaguing the people around here.

As he went into his room, Jacques laid down on his bed. His small pouch looked crunched down, if there wasn't anything in there. The owner probably tried to touch it while cleaning.

The dream came back:

Jacques stood in the crypt, Lamia at his side. She told him: "Do you know who I am?"

Jacques told her, "You're Lamia. I met you yesterday."

Lamia responded, "That's good, but you'll be blessed and cursed from now on. The world is a nasty place, even moreso for those who side with the Cross. Allen knows greater than you do, but you too will share his pain."

Jacques asked, "What do you mean? The innocence is..."

Lamia interrupted, "That is a lesser to the one you will have placed upon you, my Tabula Rasa."

Jacques awoke with the sun at mid-height. He sat up, and lifted his pouch, getting ready to put it on. It's gone...

Running downstairs to Allen and Raphael eating and drinking, he yelled, "It's gone, the orb is gone..."

Raphael and Allen asked in tandem, "What orb?"

After a long explanation, Raphael looked at him with a certain amount of suspicion. Allen just grinned, happy that nothing more evil would befall them from their own side.

The owner had prepared a nice meal for the guests, given their exuberant fees. Bacon, eggs, flat-cakes; it all looked delicious. The owner looked at Jacques and asked for more money, since Allen had eaten so much. Jacques blinked. "WHAT?!"

Handing over the money, Jacques sat down and ate his share. Their destination was the crypt. This time, they'd be attempting to read the writing.

((Where is the orb? And what is foreshadowed? And no, Kensei, Ruth has no hand in this...))

[Kabane]

"Partha... it doesn't sound like there's a lot of water there... MUST I go?" Nicholas complained. The Earl still had his menacing grin on his face while he sipped some of his tea.

"Why yes Nicholas, I don't want your brother to be alone. Besides, I think your Latin skills will come in handy." The Earl replied.

"My Latin skills? What does that have to do with this mission?" Nicholas sounded confused. Being raised in an upper class Italian neighborhood, his father and subsequent uncle sent him to the best schools in the country. Italian schools took great pride in their heritage, the romans, who spoke in... yes, Latin. Nicholas was actually quite fluent in Latin, not that he ever speaks in it, it IS a dead language after all.

The Earl ignores Nicholas' question and drinks his tea.

"If you want..." Nicholas decided not to anger Uncle E and just nods.

"So Constantine... let's get going?"

[Fect]

As they walked closer to the crypt, a small, well-tied package, almost exactly like the one he had before. Resting on the entrance. Jacques ran ahead, and grabbed it, putting it into his pouch. Suddenly, a vision struck:

"Your power and curse rests in there. Treat it well." A deep voice spoke.

Lamia rested in the orb, and the strange red-haired man chanted. The Orb turned a clear fog.

"It is safe now. The Earl has no hold or ability over them, nor any power to be used from them or within them." The voice spoke.

She sank into them, turning it a deep emerald green. The orb then split into two.

Jacques felt his energy increase as he grabbed the package... What the?

Interested, he opened the package; inside was a deep emerald orb, cleft in two, instead of a whole sphere. He picked up the two, and put one in each hand.

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Jacques awoke, his hands bandaged. He went to touch the back of his hand, still inside the fingerless glove. Raphael stopped him, grabbing his hand. "This is an interesting development of yours. I'll have to record it; it may prove to be a point of development for all of us."

Jacques spoke back, "What happened?"

Raphael replied, "You fainted. But as we got closer..."

Allen walked in with a tray, smiling: "It's good to see you're up Jacques. I hope you didn't mind, but I took a bit more money to pay for food."

Jacques looked over towards his wallet. That's a whole month's worth of pay. Rubbing his forehead, he could see the imprint in his hand. He began to unravel the bandage.

Raphael stopped him again, still fairly emotionless. "Let it take its course."

((Jacques has an awesome cloak when he is level 3. Sneak peek ;D))

[Ryuzaki]

Traveling through the portal from Uncle Ear's place, Nicholas and I arrived at the city in Syria, where it was thought to have a "treasure" as the Earl put it.

"So this is the place where that precious treasure is... I wonder why the Earl would want us to check it out though, he could have sent his lovely Akuma instead of us." I grabbed a long item wrapped around in cloth. "But he did give me this, so it must be pretty special to him if he is going this far." Nicholas looked at what I was holding, probably wondering what the Earl gave to me. "So if I remember correctly... the Earl wants us to visit some ancient lost city or something." I took off my top hat and dusted off the dir from the gust of wind.

We continued our walk down a small narrow path, admiring the little view we had we staggered along until seeing an all too familiar group.

"You've got to be joking, I didn't think those Exorcists would be here already. They do move pretty fast I'll give them that, especially for humans." I looked at Nicholas, his eyes were fixed on them. "It's okay Nicholas, we'll get to the place before they do. Plus.... even if they do beat us, they will be facing death's door, since they are missing a very important piece to the puzzle, aheheh…”

[Kabane]

Nicholas counted the heads. Hei was no where to be found. Nicholas' constant confrontations with Hei was, for the most part, expected. This mission which seemed to be without him was a breath of fresh air to Nicholas. Constantine was blabbering about something dealing with death's door. Nicholas wasn't really sure... he was hardly paying attention. He was just eager to get out of here.

"Yeah..." Nicholas replied, as Constantine ended his sentence. He hoped he didn't notice Nicholas' detached personality. His mind was wandering.

[Ryuzaki]

Outskirts from the Crypt

Enishi:

Along the sandy hills of Syria, Enishi continued his path to seek out the Akuma and Exorcists. A small spot in this baron wasteland where Enishi was traveling, an extreme hot patch of air sat near the sand creating a minature sand crater. Enishi, who was walking near the areas hoping to reach an Exorcist or Akuma soon, saw this oddly formed crater and walked over to the sight. Taking a closer look, Enishi carefully examined this odd crater. There was not much to it except for the extreme heat radiating off the crator. Kneeling to ground to see whether it was worth looking at or not, he discovered small volcanic carbon bubbles seep through the sand. Little by little the bubbles continued to grow and spread until filling up the entire crater.

Stepping away from the phenomena, Enishi saw several dark brown figures slowly rised from the fumes. The dark mucky sand slowly eroded off, the cracks and screams of a dark forced loomed over them and they rose. The sand continued to fall until you could see the bones and the flesh tearing off the limbs and bodies. They looked like the living dead rising from the ground, there lifeless bodies violently shock off the sand from their corps. The aura emitting from them seemed far more dark, even for the most evil of Akuma.

Enishi stood still to witness this inhuman and disgusting sight before him. "What the hell is this... the living dead? This aura, it's completely different from those Akuma." The heads of the corps looked up, the eyes had been completely dissolved and their lips were no longer there. They were hideous, Enishi himself was a little disturbed to see such horrible creatures.

In a deep, harsh and evil voice one of them spoke to Enishi; it was not a language Enishi was familiar with, it might have been an ancient language that was deserted long before any civilization. Taking out his sword, Enishi pointed the blade towards them, ready to slay them in a moments notice.

"It's no use speaking to you if you don't understand my language... but the sight of you makes me sick, so I'll send you back to hell where you disgusting creatures came from."

((Suspense…. Foreshadowing for what’s to come…))


Near the Crypt with Nicholas

Constantine:

"I take it that you don’t know those Exorcists over there, am I right Nicholas?" Looking at Nicholas, I could tell he didn’t want to bother wasting his time with them. "I see, then we should get going…" Continuing down the sandy path I realized something important, "O, Nicholas, I guess I haven’t told you very much of where…. or what we are searching for... sorry about leaving you out like that, but now I have the time to tell you." I slowed down a bit while walking to talk to Nicholas better.

"There is this tomb around here, well it's actually a huge temple, within one of these rocky mountains. We and probably those Exorcists, need to get there and get the "precious treasure" that the Earl wants so badly. But I have something that the Exorcists will need in order to get there." Continuing down the path I told him the more detailed stuff. "So you understand more of what we need to do, right?"

((Maybe we can "catch up" to the Exorcists who are near the crypt with the next post. And the map of the crypt is on the first page.))

[Fect]

The group headed out, and Jacques could barely feel any pain. Whatever had become a part of his hand wasn't there to harm him. Raphael and he had a small discussion about what had happened. A large cloak, a heavy green cotton, came over his back as he collapsed. A red leather covered his shoulders, and something invisible held together the cloak. It wasn't entirely complete; the brooch was missing.

They approached the site, and Jacques felt as though someone was watching him. He used his eye. As he went underground, the bodies were gone. There wasn't any trace of death. The writing kept glowing red.

Jacques looked on. He was too far away though to accurately see.

"Allen, Raphael, let's get closer," Jacques requested.

Allen gave a nod, and Raphael said nothing.

As they approached, something landed. The sand fell through the cieling. The dark aura spread through the room. The three hid themselves, in the corners of the crypt.

[Ryuzaki]

Outskirts from the Crypt


Enishi:

Touching the tip of his sword, Enishi crouched down in the attack position ready to dash at the deformed undead. Lifting up their rotting feet, they stepped out of the crater, which was growing bigger and deeper by the second. Soon they got on their knees and crawled out of the hellish pit, their movements were demonic and disturbing to watch making Enishi's concentration fall a little bit. As they crawled up the top all seven of them leaped out of the sand crater lifted up their bodies and looked at Enishi. Their skull faces glared at Enishi and they dashed at him making unnatural movements.

Enishi leaned forward and ran towards them. Penetrating one of the undead through the mouth, he quickly twisted his sword and slashed horizontally, cutting off half the head. Suddenly from both sides the fleshy skeletons opened their mouths attempting to bite Enishi from the right and the left. Using a semi-back flip, Enishi stood on the palms of his hands and kicked the inside of their jaws and landed both his feet on the sand with their detached heads and slashed their skulls is half.

"First Opening, Hate!" With two instant slashes of his sword, Enishi sent two waves of energy slashing through two of the deformed skeletons cutting them completely in half from head to the hip.

The last two disappeared without a trace, without letting even Enishi know. Moments later, Enishi's feet were grabbed by the rotting hands of the two undead as they summoned above the ground lifting him up into the air upside down. Their nails grew a foot long and very sharp, ready to stab Enishi in their grasps. As they were about to impale Enishi in the chest with their own hands, with the swiftness of his blade, Enishi cut off both their legs in one swing sending them falling backwards while letting go of Enishi.

The detached legs started to slowly crawled to their bodies as they both staggered to get back up with their arms.

"It's over demons..." Putting his sword, Jinchu, to his waist, preparing to unleash the godly speed of his sword, Enishi grinned with pleasure to destroy these undead demons. "I told you didn't I? That I'd be sending you all back the Hell!" The fierce force of his sword could be heard throughout the mountains as he annihilated what was left of them, destroying the entire upper part of their bodies.

As the winds calmed down from his enormous attack, Enishi swung the sword in the air to wipe away the rotten blood stains. Sheathing back Jinchu, he wrapped it back in his cloth and put it behind his shoulders and headed towards the temple where he knew he would find what he was looking for.

[Kabane]

Nicholas and Constantine had wandered away from the exorcists. They have thus far gone unnoticed. Nicholas was sure Constantine would like to keep it that way as long as possible. After several minutes of walking, Constantine slowed his pace. He probably thought the gap between us and the exorcists was large enough. He told me about some of the minor details of this mission. What the vague significance of the item in his hand was, what the Earl really wanted us to do here. It was something about retrieving a precious treasure and something like that. Although Nicholas wanted to pay attention, for some reason, he couldn't. He felt something was strange in the atmosphere of this place.

"Yeah... I'll do whatever Uncle E wants." Nicholas replied. Certain details seemed trivial to Nicholas. He knew a great deal about Roman History. This overlapped it.

"These ruins are at least 1400 years old. At about 300 AD the Roman Empire, who spoke Latin, split in two. The Western Roman Empire, and the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire later became known as the Byzantine Empire. At around... oh... 500ish AD the Byzantine Empire became extremely Greek based in terms of language in culture. "

Constantine looks a little surprised at Nicholas' knowledge of Latin. Nicholas saw a sentence etched into the wall of the entrance. Strangely... it looked recent, no more than 100 years old.

"Vereor quis somnus pro vos"

Fear what sleeps before you.

[Fect]

Crypt's Entrance

The door swung open for the Noah. Waiting for the Noah to go through, the trio sat, waiting. Nicholas and Constantine went on through. She spoke into his mind: "Jacques, hurry; or the door will close. I've been here before, when it was first made."

Jacques lept, as did Raphael. Allen was in the far corner, biding his time, and as he dashed for the door, it closed. "I'll wait at the Hotel for you two. Should anything happen, contact me via golem."

Allen ran out, making great time. Raphael ignored him, knowing that this one who was running was faster than him. Was it his background? Probably. Allen made a quick dash. A voice came over the golem: "Thanks. I'll borrow your wallet."

NO! I'll be broke by the time we're done here...

With that, the sound of the footsteps moved on.

"Si unus ignoro quibus prodigium unus is, haud ventus est volens."

His voice echoed through the halls.

Raphael looked over nervously; Is that really what he wants to say?

The footsteps got quieter, then a slam from the wall. Jacques and Raphael ran down, hiding behind inlets in the wall watching...

[Z_Blitz]

Tagging along with Jacques throughout this expedition, Raphael explored the insides of the ruins with a keen eye. The most recent engraving he read on the wall implied that something or someone slept in here for quite an extended period of time. What or who rested here however, was beyond his knowledge scope. He did deduce something out of it though, it was trouble since 2 Noahs were there.

"Fear what sleeps before you, is what the engraving said. Though by the looks of it, it doesn't look like it was an age old engraving, as a matter of fact, it looked rather recent, no more than a 100 to 150 years old. Come on, the faster we go, the better are our chances of beating the Noah to whatever prized possession this place holds."

Whispering his dialogue to Jacques, Raphael pulled on his compadre deeper into the ruins towards a rising staircase. Listening to the unusual crumbles in the stone with every step he took, Raphael noticed the presence of something far unwanted on their trip.

"Trap at 2 o'clock, probably a deep hole into the ground. Steer clear if you value your own life, for even I can't save you if you fall."

Cold and blunt his speech was, but this was no laughing matter. Any mistake by either of them would result in mortal wounds, if not a drastic fatality.

Walking in deeper into the dark ruins, with nothing more than a torch to light their way, Raphael and Jacques entered a large room, with four grand pillars holding it in place. The walls were inscribed with ancient latin writing, probably dating to the early 800s. On the upper right corner of the room, rested the most peculiar of the pillars with an inscription that seemed to stand out more than the rest after being painted upon.

"Any clue as to what that is?" Jacques questioned.

Raphael got on one knee and examined the inscription, carefully moving his torch across to read it.

"Nitor Quorum Vadum Relevo Vestri Semita." Taking out blue testube from his coat, Raphael poured its contents on the inscription, wiping out the darkened markings on it.

"That should buy us sometime. We head east. There seems to be some artifact that'll unlock more into this hell hole. With any luck, even the Noah will have a hard time assessing the meanings of the engravings."

Jacques nodded in agreement, he rushed eastwards leading the way into a corridor decorated with spider webs and rat burrows. Walking into another vast room after that, Jacques drew himself closer to the peculiar emerald resting on top of the statue in front of them, right after the short corridor separating the room they stood in and the one where the emerald rested. The brilliance the emerald shone reflected the fiery lights of the torches that each Jacques and Raphael held, alluring Jacques into approaching it even faster. He was about to run to it when Raphael interrupted him.

"I should have mentioned this earlier, but... The inscription we saw; it was covered in blood..."

Stopping in place, Jacques turned around to Raphael his eyes full of concern.

"I didn't mean to scare you or anything, I just thought you should know."

"That's... Not really what I'm so worried about..." stated Jacques, lowering his voice with every word he said.

The ground shook beneath our feet, something clicked and a few seconds later the wall closed in at an accelerating pace, surely to crush the both of us had we stood our ground. Quick on their feet, both Raphael and Jacques dashed out of the contracting wall, into corridor losing Raphael's torch while on the area. The crackling sound of the wood being crushed at the walls' mercy resounded in the corridor they stood in, making each of them imagine what their fates would have been had they been a little slower.

"Sorry for that, I triggered a trap while walking."

With an apologetic tone in his voice, Jacques stated the reason behind the misadventure he and Raphael went through. Uncaring for what happened or his apology, Raphael responded coldly to his ally saying that his apology was not needed.

"It's an honest mistake. I couldn't have predicted it myself. With any luck, the walls will open shortly, only to reclose again in a few seconds. The engineers who designed this tomb were not dumb enough to forget about those who try to dash into the corridor like you and I here. We need to grab the emerald and rush for the exit once that happens. If we're even a few seconds late, we'll be either crushed or trapped. Both are options are unfavorable to us."

With a slight nod, Jacques stood on his feet and walked by Raphael's side towards the emerald - now that Raphael lost his means of lighting his way -. Gently, Raphael picked the stone and held it in his hand, admiring its brilliance with Jacques looking at it from the other side. A sudden rumble, woke the two of them out of their enchanted state. The walls began separating.

"Quick!" Exclaimed Jacques, with Raphael sprinting right next to him out of the room, into the corridor, and towards the closing walls. With a hair's margin, both exorcists survived the trap each panting and sweating out of the physical effort they both had to put into their escapade.

"I don't mind working a sweat every now and then, but this was just... WILD!"

Showing signs of a feint smile, Raphael replied with slight enthuisiasm to his partner's comment.

"Yeah."

[Toukestu Zero]

((Sorry I'm late guys!))

Zero hurried to the the crypt's entrance. He was the last exorcist to arrive. He quickly sent a message to the other exorcist that he would go on ahead without them unless they turned up. The trip to the crypt was a long one and he was rather exhausted even before he entered. He had took a different route to crypt so he never met any of the other exorcists. Feeling slightly nervous, he prepared to enter the crypt.

[Undying]

Crypt Entrance

Dinnin

((This is shortly before Zero arrives there))

Dinnin entered the crypt calmly, uninterested in the undead roaming the place, and unafraid. Slowly walking, he failed to notice the dark figure following him silently from the sands. At the very entrance, Dinnin was almost instantly surrounded by undead.

Of course, the mighty Akuma swatted the undead away effortlessly, smashing their decayed bodies with powerful slashes from his massive sword. When he was finished, he stepped on the bodies carelessly and continued walking straight through the corridors.

"Jagshamesh!" He slowly turned to regard the origin of the voice, a slight man with darkly-tanned skin and large golden hoops in his ears.

"What?" The Akuma asked, slowly. He was not scared, but he have never heard of a man approaching him so fearlessly.

"I said Jagshamesh, oh big one! I am 'ere to guide you through the labyrinth."

Dinnin was honestly surprised. Thought not stupid - just a berserker on the battlefield - he simply could not wrap mind around the notion that a completely strange man would approach him and offer to guide. "What's the catch, small one?"

"No catch, oh big one. I have heard the prophecy of the great dark one that shall be led to the remains of the Noah hidden here."

"The WHAT?" Dinnin stepped back, shocked.

"Noah remains. And Jarlaxle paid me dearly to get you there and get what he needed." The man stepped deeper in the crypt, his turban hat emitting a slight glow in the darkness. "Well, oh big one?"

Dinnin rolled his eyes in surprise. Jarlaxle really needed it, eh? Well, as long as he freed him...

Shrugging his gigantic shoulders, he walked after the short man.

---------------------------------------

Some time later, on a level below Jacques and Raphael

"It is 'ere, oh big 'un. You must now let the Exorcists open it."

"What? Why?" Dinnin stepped back, shocked.

"Because it will allow you to lay your hands on the Dark Core, which has the Noah genes."

Dinnin sighed and sat down, waiting.

((You guys can find a trap-free passage down to the crypts where the... well... you know what is))

[Ryuzaki]

Bottom Floor of the Temple

Constantine:

With the torched light in Nicholas' hand and the visible light that I'm able to control. we both could see all of the deatail in the tomb as clear as day.

"There's no other way except to go down again..." I said to Nicholas who was walking with the light ahead of me. Reaching what seemed to be the bottom floor we continued are way down until reaching a fairly large room. Our footsteps echoed through the halls and so did the voices of the Exorcists ahead of us.

"It's okay if they beat us to the destination, it's impossible for them to open up the treasure in the crypt anyways..."

The large room was filled with 4 separate other small rooms and a large case in the center. We had no idea what lied ahead but I figured that was the thing that the Earl wanted us to retrieve for him.

((This isn't the correct room where we need to get the "treasure". We're in the room with the letter "A" in it.))

[Undying]

The crypt, down below

Dinnin

Dinnin was growing impatient with the wait, as the Exorcists weren't arriving. Finally, he stood up and began pacing around. The man in the turban hat, however, remained completely stationary, looking straight at the wall.

"Well?" Asked Dinnin eventually, unable to contain his impatience any longer.

"Well, what?"

"Why aren't they here yet?"

"Probably because they are lost, or are looking for something else."

"Well they will be coming here now!"

Dinnin, angry and losing patience, ripped his sword from his back and began to smash it against the walls. In moments, a tremor jerked the undead in the vicinity of the Exorcists awake, and a trap triggered by one of the lumbering zombies caused the two to fall into a pit where they were greeted by a massive, hulking beast.

The Undead Butcher.


Appearance (http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c39/SankonGanSou/kofc_ape.png)

Health: 140
Speed: 10
Attack: 20
Power: Attacks with physical attacks only. Immune to stat changes. Stupid. Slow

[Fect]

In the Pit

The beast lumbered forward, then sent a fist downward at an incredible speed. The shockwave threw Jacques and Raphael against the walls, but they missed being squished by the beast.

"Attack the Legs," Lamia said inside his head.

The monster turned towards Raphael. Jacques released two Tonnerre de Jupiter at the behemoth's legs. It fell over for a moment, and then stood back up. That felt a lot better. Much easier to control and use what I have.

"Fire or Light would do more damage than lightning," Lamia reminded him.

"But how do I...?"

Silence.

The monster turned around towards him and bellowed a roar.

[Damage Taken = 2, 33/35]
[Damage Given = 32, Monster has 108 HP left]

((Ooh. What happens next?))

[Ryuzaki]

Inside Tomb Room with "A"

Constantine:

"It looks like we need to open up this central plate here in this room somehow. There should be a lever some where on this..." I felt around the center alter and found nothing that seemed suspicious. "Oi, Nicholas, let's check these four rooms, maybe they will hold something that we need to get this alter open.." Nicholas nodded and we both went into separate rooms.

"Hey is there anything in there as well!? There's a small statue on this rock, and I think we need to pull it!" Grabbing the statue's head, which resembles a bird I pulled the statue at the same time as Nicholas. Loud clicking noise rumbles throug the rooms, I immediately went to the alter to look around if anything had changed but nothing happened.

"Let's check the other two rooms, I think that should do it, right?" We entered the other two rooms to see another pair of statues sitting on top of a rock, but this time resembling a serpent. "Okay, on the count of three we pull, okay!?" I placed my hand on the neck of the statue, "One, two, three!" we both pulled on the statue causing it to slide and make an even bigger noise throughout the whole room, it was as if it was changing gears or something. Dashing to the center room alter, there was a small circular button that spiraled up with ancient writing on it.

"Hm, I guess we... pull it out, right?" Placing my hands on the cylinder rock a startling crack echoed, it sounded as if it came from the four rooms we pulled the statues. "Heh, a secret door might have opened, you never know..." Peering in the room the walls that we once there were suddenly gone and only small rectangular holes were there. "Is this... what... I think... it is..."

Something moved within the walls, a slow moan could be heard in the other room... suddenly a skeleton arm grabbed the outside of the hole, and soon dozens of undead skeleton figures started to crawl out of the walls in all of the rooms. What we just opened up was a grave yard full of the living dead.

[Kabane]

Bottom Floor of the Temple

A piercing roar echoes throughout the corridors of the temple.

"Seems like the exorcists found something cumbersome." Nicholas commented. The temple shook with every blow the beast attempted. For now the exorcists were swift enough to avoid the strikes resulting in the beast to slam the floors and walls of the temple.

Constantine and Nicholas had traveled around this one large room. It flowed into four other rooms, each which held a strange jewels of sorts. Nicholas and Constantine touched each of them with resulted in them glowing.

"This seems a little too easy."

There were more noises. It wasn't a roar though, nor was it a smash. It was a moan. A lifeless moan that thirsted for the living. Dozens of undead corpses plowed through the wall beside Constantine and Nicholas. Nicholas stepped back a few feet.

"Now I really did not see THIS coming" Nicholas rolled his eyes. Sure.. the joke probably would have been more amusing had he still been playing the role of blind-man, but Nicholas wasn't very good at acting that.

"If the exorcists could take care of these things, we shouldn't even need to put effort" Constantine grinned.

"Yeah... easy for you to say. I have a lack of water around here." Nicholas reveals a large cantina of water. He twists the cap open. I can't do much but this is fine for now.

Nicholas shapes the water in the sack into a medium-sized sword. He dashed around the room at a blinding pace and sliced each zombie he encountered head off.

((do they have stats? lol im sure this is fine.))

[Fect]

In the Pit

The large arms swung down. Jacques lept to the left.

"Now dodge to the right, to avoid the wall."

His personal training coach kept telling him what to do. Battlement to the right leg, Greve to the left, then fire on both with a Tonnerre. The arms swung wildly, but as Lamia kept reminding him, as long as he stayed outside the monster's reach, it was an easy target.

"You remember Hei's energy, right? Try to make something similar."

As Jacques listened, he ran to a wall, which would allow him 15 seconds till the monster got back in swinging range. He began to change the energy; it turned red in his arms, then he threw it with 5 seconds left.

"Battlement..."

The energy exploded in front of him and the monster was confused. It couldn't see its target any longer. It turned for Raphael again.

"Tonnerre De Jupiter."

The monster swung down and to its right, nailing Jacques as the orb hit.

[Damage Given = 50 total, HP=58/140]
[Damage Taken = 18, HP= 14/35]

[Ryuzaki]

Bottom Floor of Temple - In Room "A"

As Nicholas formed what little water he brought with him into swords, I used the little light from the fire in the room and formed two solid gamma light swords in my hands. "I didn't think we'd be doing some zombie killing this time!" Jumping up into the air I cut the first undead corps standing in front of me in half, spinned around and slashed the heads off of the others around me.

Ducking down to avoid the surprisingly fast claws of the zombies, I moved my swords across my chest stabbing them through the jaw and back out the back of their head. As they fell down from my assault, I roundhouse kicked the zombie behind me sending it back flying, hitting the zombies behind it causing a chain reaction of other undead corps to fall over losing their limbs while at it.

As we were slashing away at their heads, the few that were cut before started to move and stand up again. "How in the hell do we kill these things when they're already dead!?"

As they continued to stand up once again even after our assault, I knew Nicholas didn’t have enough water to wipe them all out so I decided to use the little light in the room to see what I can do. “Well, as long as that fire burns I could keep using that source of energy to wipe out these hideous monsters…” Using the light source of the fire I filled the room with the most radiation I could put out. “Just a little more and they’re toast, eheheh” The light began to heat up the zombies in the room until the massive amount concentrated radiation heat set all of the zombies in the room on fire.

[Toukestu Zero]

Zero entered the crypt. He messaged the others, "Where are you?" Then he recieved the reply "On the bottom floor" And Zero heads on down to the bottom level and quickly joins the others.


((Sorry my post is so short. I don't really know what is going on,but my next post will be longer.))

[Fect]

Raphael was toying with the darn thing. At one point he ran forward and back-flipped off the monster when it attacked him. "Prepare 4 Jupiters." Picking up a rock, he threw it in the monster's eye next. It went on a blind rampage and Raphael made fun of it more. It wasn't that it was missing... it couldn't hit him.

Jacques made a quick kneeling, his hands pointed down in a triangle.

Raphael kept occupying the monster, but eventually it tired out trying to attack that target. Turning around, Raphael hit it in the back of the legs a few times to get it looking over in his direction; but it kept lumbering forward. It needed a new prey, one it could destroy and eat; and maybe have a candlelight dinner with it also.

That'll be enough.

Its fist raised, the arm came down. Jacques ran through its legs. Launching what he could without exhausting himself, the monster took direct hits and began foaming. Raphael lept to the monster's head and smashed its skull in.

[Monster HP = 0, Damage Given = 70]

"Now to get out," Raphael said.

Grabbing him and throwing Raphael over his shoulder, Jacques bent his legs. "No, that'll strain you. I'm sure there's..." The ground exploded and they flew up over the pit's walls to where they were before... where they had gotten the stone. "Don't be so foolish. I'm here too."

[HP=12/32, Strain]

((Hope you don't mind Z, but we need to get out of that pit))

[Wacer]

"This heat is killing me" Dimitri yelled at his camel as if it could fix it. When he got his hands on Komui he was going to kill him for suggesting it

((Some time before that))

Dimitri had been hurried out of the order by Komui when he had found him lazing about around HQ and he just loved to make him miserable so he had had given him a mission. But what made it worse was that had barely made the boat to that would take him to the first part of his journey. He did not even know where this place was all that well.

The ship had dropped him of at the closest town to the site and Dimitri thinking the place was not all that far had almost walked right out into the desert with no means of transportation at all when his golem rang

"Dimitri" Komui screeched from the other end of the line

"what" he answered dryly

"The crypt is a bit of a way away from the town you are in so it would be unwise to travel by foot"

"And you are telling me this now, what am i supposed to do to get there now" I yelled back

"why dont you rent a camel, there should be some in town and you will get there in no time" His cheery voice said from the other side

"whatever" I said as i put away the golem and went to search the town

((back to present))

"why does the Exorcists coat have to be black" Dimitri moaned at his camel once more as he trudged on through sand and onward to the crypt

[Fect]

In the Hallway between A and B

The skeletons were unending. They had just entered the next gate, and the undead had arisen from the ground they stood on. Raphael cracked his knuckles. Jacques formed one of his shields into a Rod. "This has been quite an adventure, huh Raphael?"

Raphael nodded, his heart pumping. "He's just as excited as you are."

"We'll just have to fight the ones down the hall in the other direction," Jacques told him, as they fought the skeletons; Raphael smashing their bones to dust and Jacques breaking the joints, Jacques got back-to-back with Raphael and threw down one of his small crosses. Up formed a shield and the army behind them scratched at the transparent green, in some desperate attempt to get through.

"I'm going to start keeping count," Jacques told Raphael.

"I'll do the same," he responded.

The skeletons fell by pairs; they were weak compared to the monstrosity that slept.

One appeared in front of them with a black jacket and Order Insignia: it was one of the group originally ambushed. He held in his bony hand what remained of his innocence: a staff and a fine white-powder dust. Jacques stood in shock, but Raphael smashed the skeleton's head, and down it fell, to dust with its belongings.

"That probably won't be the last we see," he added.

They moved on to the next area to be unpleasantly surprised with two Noah, both having a fair amount of trouble with the skeletons around them.

"Pass us the key, Noah," Raphael requested.

"I was about to tell you, but this one knows much of history. He may even know of me; mention it to him in passing once you're out of here."

((I hope it's alright that I used your char a bit... a lot... Z.))

[Ryuzaki]

Tomb: Room "A"

"Pass us the key, Noah," Raphael requested.

"Pass you the key?? Ha, you pass me the gemstone because you can't get very far without me." The two Exorcists looked irritated a little at my comment.

"Listen, if you hand me the gemstone, then you can tag along with us until we find this "treasure" okay? But don't expect any rewards though, I'm not that kind of person when it comes to these type of things..."

The two Exocists looked at each other and pondered about what they should do next. Should they listen to what I said and give me the gemstone that they fought for? Or should they beg us even more for the key that we have.

While they were pondering what to do next I walked over to the center alter where the circular stone with the ancient writing was and pushed it down just to see if that did anything. A few moments later, a huge thud came from the right wall, a few second later it slowly slid to the side leading us to the next hallway in the this huge temple.

"Shall we go Exorcists? And be careful of the traps for all that is Holy. I don't wan to get caught up in your mess..."

[Fect]

In Room A

Raphael looked over and whispered: "They're at a slight disadvantage due to the nature of their powers, but we need to know what they know. Let's follow."

Jacques nodded and they walked into the next corridor.

Constantine added, "Let's split up too. I'll go with R..."

"Alright, let's go," Jacques interrupted.

"What are you doing, you know that your better chances rest with the hydromancer..."

Jacques and Constantine walked towards the darker aura.

"Jacques, listen. You're being foolish, you have no idea what's in there... it will harm you and maim you."

Raphael has the Gem, don't worry. He'll be more than enough to crush Nicholas.

They walked through the door. Inside was more innocence dust, and a pile of writings. But the room was far too dark to see everything.

"Jacques, run. He's about ready to lash out again!"

((Back to you, Ryu. Z and Prof can have fun in the other room. Btw, When I say "he," I mean the monster that is in the vault, and not Ryu.))

[Ryuzaki]

Upper Room "T"

"Exorcist... give me that gemstone real quick will you? I think i know what it does.." Jacques looked at me for a second, debating whether to trust me or not. After debating for a few moments, he finally handed me the gemstone.

"Thanks... you won't get this back probably..." I dashed over to the previous room with the large alter and stuck the gemstone in the small slot on the cylinder stone. Light resonated from the gem and the whole alter glowed emerald color. Three more secret doors opened up and fell to the ground making a loud noise. "Well, well... looks like my intuition was correct, wasn't it?"

We walked to where the secret wall opened up to only find large gold statues, plates and coins. "Sheesh... there couldn't be anymore gold in this room now can it!?" I grabbed the gold coins and played with it in my fingers. It felt was very heavy and dense, the gold coins alone must have been worth a fortune. "We'll get this later I suppose... as much as I want to take it, I won't..." I slipped a smaller golden coin in my pocket as I said that to Jacques. "So! Shall we go to the other room!"

"Wait... this isn't what you guys are searching for, am I right...?" Jacques froze for a second, trying to think just waited ahead of us.

"It's nothing, it's nothing! Now let's get going, we may just find something better than this gold! Wouldn't that be interesting??" I grabbed his coat and dragged him to the room where Nicholas and Raphael were. That room was also filled with magnificent gold, I had to force myself back from not taking anymore than what I already had.

"What about this last room that opened up..." I slowly walked to the dark and empty room, "Let's go check it out...aheheh.."

Enter into Room Left of "O"

[Fect]

Below the Lower Treasure Room

The door opened ever so slightly.

"I thought you said he had it..."

I thought he did, but... that's why he leaned over to whisper! He gave me the gem...

Constantine walked into the next room; the presentation was splendid. On the outside, a marble vault door with a freeze on top of it sat between Ionic gold-feathered marble columns. The room had a high ceiling. Constantine walked towards the entrance, where a small indention sat, in the perfect shape for some gemstone of sorts: like a pearl.

Constantine reached into his coat pocket. "Jacques, STOP HIM!"

Jacques stood there. Lamia, I'm here in investigate and find out why they died; if I don't find out what this thing is, we won't be able to leave with clear minds and consciences.

[Ryuzaki]

Below the Lower Treasure Room

"Fine, fine.... I guess you're right... but we do need to get through this huge door anyways... and I have the "key", if you know what I mean.." All three of them looked puzzled at what I said.

"Just watch and learn why you couldn't get in without me..." Walking up to the door I placed my hand in the large cat statue, hoping that it would lead to opening the gate. "I think... this.. is... not it.." I starred at the other three who fell over in shock. "Eheh.... sorry about that..." Sweating down my forehead I grabbed my top hat from embarrassment.

"Okay, next idea... maybe if we combine our powers on the door, it will open, maybe..." They all looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about, which I wasn't. "To tell you the truth, the Earl never told me how to get through this door...tch..."

The floor rumbled all of a sudden, the walls around us started to crack from the force, then part of th ceiling fell off, almost smashing the three behind me. Looking towards the now glowing door, it slowly opened up, and a large hand grabbed the outside of the door and slowly walked out, roaring with a fierce voice.

"That Earl never told me about this!" We all looked at the massive muscular guardian with an enormous axe.

"NO ONE SHALL PASS!!" His voiced rumbled the room even more, causing more debris to fall right by us. I slowly backed up to the other three trying to get away from this being.

"Well, it probably won't let us pass in one piece if we just walked over to the next and final room. So I advise us to battle this guardian together... as much as I hate saying it.."

Dharm.

Appearance (http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c39/SankonGanSou/b0d8b3a5c21e7e9b.jpg)
Health: 250
Speed: 20
Tactics: 10
Attack: 35

Characteristics: Smart. Strong. Fast. Blindly obedient to his vow to defend the crypt forever and ever. Attacks anything he feels is trying to open the crypt.

Powers: Rage of the Ancients: is completely immune to pain, so even if you slice of its hand it'll go "it's only a flesh wound".

Skeletons: can summon up to 10 skeletons (simultaneously, that is) that have the stats:

Health 10
Speed 4
Tactics 1
Attacks 3

To serve as shields or delay the opponents.

[Fect]

Before the Crypt Room

Lamia?! Was this what you were talking about?

She was completely silent.

"Constantine, we're the only long-range fighters here. We need to back up," Jacques said as he lept through the door to the treasure room. He picked up the key to the last room without Constantine noticing, who was preoccupied with the Guardian.

Constantine soon followed, "The Earl said NOTHING about this... NOTHING!"

Jacques responded, "So the Earl put you up to this...but why?"

The guardian's fist struck the ground, and five skeletons rose from the ground.

Tsk. Damn.

"Greve D'Ame." Firing twice, the bolts struck each of the skeletons. They soon turned to dust. That evens the odds. I'd think about trying to dig a hole out of here, but I'm afraid that Constantine would become too strong. Firing a Tonnerre at the Giant, it took the shot like there was nothing to it. Is it Immortal? Let's start preparing a shield in case of the worst, since I'm already feeling weak.

Five more skeletons appeared behind them.

[Damage Given = 20, Dharm's HP = 230/250]

((Evil... That thing will murder people. We need backup... calling Dimitri!))

[Ryuzaki]

Before the Crypt Room


"Pretty good Jacques... if only I had some light source to work with, I wouldn't be so helpless..." As the skeleton continued to attack us, Jacques turned them into ashes with ease.

"I see that you can deal witht he small fries pretty well, but that gardian looks damn angry..." The guardian yelled out once more that all trespassers will be annihilated as he sent more skeletons to rise from the ground. Round house kicking the three skeletons causing them to fly to the wall and fall apart I turned to the busy Jacques and put my hands on his shoulder.

"Oi, I have a favor... can you make some source of light for me to use? The fire over there isn't enough to fry this guy, so I need your help on this one."

[Toukestu Zero]

((Sure Fect, I don't mind at all! =]))


Zero spots a pit and look down into it. He recieved a message that someone needed rescue, so he used his level 1 innocence, the fork and stuck it to the ceiling. It then grew long enough to pierce through the floor which turned it into a long metal rod. Zero then slid down into the pit and took out his level 2 innocence, the candle on a candlestick. He lighted up the area with it and looked around, wondering where would the rest be. Just then, he received the signal from Jacques which stated he needed backup so Zero stuck his knife and extended it into the wall before zooming off to his location.

[Wacer]

(( i know i was at schoool, i just left my computer on CB so it looked like i was on))

Crypt's Entrance

Well at least he had finally reached the god forsaken tomb in the middle of nowear. Getting off his camel He looked around to see that all was quiet, looks like everyone had gone inside already. Also it he could see the remains of others here and there, must of been what was left of the others that had tried to investigate this place.

"Well lets just see what is going on in there" Dimitri said to himself as he prepared to send a pulse out to try and find the others. He pulled himself into his inner world as he sent the pulse though the crypt. At the outer edges of it there seemed to be some activity going on but he could not get a real good mental picture from it. Maybe he could try and get in touch with one of the others that was in there and they could tell him what was going on.

As he descended down the stairs to the crypt he pulled out his golem and sent a message to the others that where there

"Hay Jacques, Raphael, it is me Dimitri,. I Just entered the place right now and should be there soon. Is something going on down there, I could not get a real reading with my pulse"

He wanted to see what they would have to say

((i am on my way guyss XD ))

[Toukestu Zero]

Zero soon caught up with Jacques in front of the cyrpt room. Spotting the five skeletons, he summoned the silver knife (Length: Short sword) set its diamond edge on fire, and used spell [Lighning Speed]. He slashed at the skeletons rapidly and they burned to the ground after being hit thrice by the silver knife.


"Hi!" Zero greeted him happily after he had finnaly destroyed the five skeletons.

[Fect]

((That seemed a little fast, but ok...))

Lamia, I need your help.

"Oh sure, now you need it."

Don't be that way, but if you are, I'll handle this myself.

Looking around, there was a small "Collection of the Elements" lying on the floor. None of the thin wires on the front were what he was looking for. Flipping it over, he found the number: 74. Ripping apart the block and smashing the glass around it, he took the wire and tightly wound it with two ends in the same direction. Trying to release as little electrical energy as possible, the wire glowed bright and Constantine's face changed from worry to malevolent smile. Then, it broke.

"Constantine, can you use infrared light instead?" Jacques asked.

"I'd rather use something else."

Attempting the fire-trick again, Jacques held up his hand, rolled his fingers, then let it ignite, unrolling as quickly as possible. The flame was larger than any torch Jacques had seen thus far.

Zero walked in, "Hi."

[Ryuzaki]

"Constantine, can you use infrared light instead?" Jacques asked

"Actually, that is just as good as light my Exorcist friend... I can convert any wave into gamma in an instant, if you haven't forgotten already..." With that said, Jacques produced an enormous amount of infrared light and I manipulated the waves to fill the room with invisible and visible light waves.

"Bow let's see how our big friend can handle some internal radiation burns... aheheh.." Surrounding the giant guardian with a lot of light, and squeezed my fists together and all of the gamma light collided all at once radioactively burning him. "I don't think anyone can survive that kind of an attack at point blank..."

[Damage Given to Dharm(light): 25]

As the cloud of smoke dispersed, you could see the giant axe still in his hands, and he stayed where he was, motionless.

"It's only internal wounds." The giant replied to my attack.

"Only... internal... wounds...? Hmph, that guy can withstand a lot of pain I suppose, o well, we'll just have to kick it up a notch or two." Forming a bow and arrow in my hands from the gamma light I create, I pulled back the light string and aimed carefully at the guardian.

"Why won't you just throw your spears or sword like you normally do??" Jacques said to me as he turned more skeletons into ashes at the same time.

"Heh, you've got a lot of stuff to learn... I've condensed the gamma rays in this single arrow ten times the normal attack I use, which makes it that much more deadly..." I glanced at Jacques and gave him a quick grin as I let go of the arrow while not looking. In a split second the arrow pierced through Dharm's chest making a huge radioactive hole.

[Damage Given to Dharm(light arrow): 30]
[Dharm's Current Health: 175/250]

"I guess I missed his heart? His anatomy must be a little different I suppose.." Without any warning Dharm swung his gigantic axe hitting Jacques and I on the flat side of the axe sending us flying to the wall and making a huge crater. Dust flew throughout the whole room from our impact...

[Damage Taken: 25(Both Jacques and I)]

[Damage Regenerated: 4]
[Current Health: 24/45]

[Wacer]

"It seems like things are getting quiet hectic down there" Dimitri thought to himself as he raced though the Crypt to get to the other.

If not for his pulse he had sent out at the start he would have been wondering all thought the Crypt looking for them but it had given him the general idea where they where and he just headed in that direction. He would of been able to pinpoint them but someone or something was playing hell with Electromagnetic Spectrum that his pulse used to find others.

He passed traps and what what not on the way there but the others had already set them off and they where easy enough to avoid, he was a a pretty fast guy as well so that also helped. He passed a room on his way down the hallway but it was not where the others where coming from so he just ignored it and continued on.

As he got to the end of the super long hallway it opened up into a huge room with tomb in the middle and many doors branching off from it.

"Just where am i supposed to go now" Dimitri though to himself but for once it seemed like luck was on his side as a room in the lower part of the to Crypt room exploded with dust from an attack

"I guess that answers that" Dimitri smiled to himself as he raced to see what was going on

Making into the place Dimitri saw what appeared to be the Guardian of the place engaged in a battle with some Exorcists and a Noah, and it would had to be one like the least, that dam Constantine. Even with all that power it seemed like the Guardian was giving them a run for there money. It seemed like the noah was helping them but he could just say that he had not know that as he prepared his attack with an evil grin

"Innocence full power" Dimitri call out as a giant arm of black thunder energy formed beside him. His 3 story tall thunder titan may be to big to fit in this place but a partial summon would do the trick.

The giant arm flew forward and the Electromagnetic storm it left in its wake blew throughout the room and slammed into the others. He had erected a barrier around the Exorcists but Constantine he had conveniently forgot to as the Electromagnetic wave sent him flying right back into the crater he had just got out of.

The Guardian howled in rage as he was bashed into the wall and shockwaves reverted though the Crypt from the power of the impact

"And the resident hero Dimitri, Is here to save the day" i called out to the with a grin on my face

[Damage Given to Dharm 16]
[Dharm's Current Health: 159/250]

[Damage Given to Constantine: 1]

[Undying]

Inside the crypt

Dharm

Dharm, the guardian of the tomb, had lived for centuries underground. These enemies, powerful though they were, simply did not understand fighting below ground. He dodged an attacked sent at him by the man with strange eyes ((that's Jacques, btw)) and hacked at the wall of the crypt, dropped a fair sized chunk of rock between himself and them, causing a loud explosion with an ear-deafening echo to confuse his enemies.

Somewhere else in the crypt

Dinnin

Dinnin leaned back, and gave an angry sigh. Nothing happened. He smashes his sword against the rocks a few times and nothing. Anger bubbled inside him, and he suddenly turned to face the strange man.

"Why have you brought me here? What use is sitting and waiting for them?"

"Jagshamesh! They are almost here, I tell you!"

"Liar!" Dinnin grabbed the man by the collar, intending to smash him, but the strange man took a key, handing on a string on his neck, and placed it at Dinnin's head. Immediately, Dinnin was blasted backwards, and images from his previous life bombarded him. But this man did not know who stood before him, and did not know that Dinnin was a battlerager, immune to such petty mental attacks.

Grabbing the sword on his back, the huge Akuma smashed it at the man's general direction. The only thing he hit was the wall, which promptly broke apart to reveal a double door. Each side was adorned with different carvings; one showed a burning city, while the other showed a man looking from a window at the direction of the flames and playing on a large instrument with strings, which Dinnin did not know the name of.

The man, meanwhile, raised his hand. "Jagshamesh! You are amazing! Ma name is Shady!"

"So?"

"I like you! Do you like me?"

"No."

"Good! Now listen, big one. This is the tomb of a Noah. You managed to undo a spell made by the Earl himself! Now you will take the Noah remains and I will go back home!"

Dinnin shrugged as the man disappeared into the wall, becoming a shadow. Placing a hand on the doors, he pushed, but nothing. Angry, he planted his fist in the center, right where the carving of the flames merged with the carving of the man's window.

The result was immediate, cracks spread from the center and a sizable chunk of rock simply crumbled, revealing a dried eye. Dinnin shrugged and removed it. As soon as the eye left its resting place, a shudder ran through the crypt.

At the scene of the fight against Dharm

Dharm

A sudden shudder ran though the monster's spine. He felt someone at the tomb! Someone touched the Millennium Eye! The crypt trembled suddenly, and then, the floor on which they were standing crumbled. Plunging into complete darkness, they soon hit hard, rocky floor.

The floor covered them with debris, but Dharm seemed to have been completely covered.

Boss battle - Orangguerra (http://www.esnips.com/doc/4ffc775b-5a99-4610-8bb5-29d26d24b246/1-14_-boss_battle-_orangguerra)

One of the group slowly approached the pile when it burst open, Dharm bursting out, enraged.

[Dharm HP recovered to full 250||Special ability gained Axe of Darkness - attacks latch into you for two posts and slow you down to 1/2 speed as well as cause you 5 damage per post]

Dinnin

Dinnin fell into the natural cavern, his special ability allowing him to see through the darkness easily.

[Dinnin ability - darkness vision||Because he can create an area of absolute darkness, Dinnin is capable to see quite well inside dark places]

He noticed that they were in a dark cavern, a natural one, as opposed to the earlier man-made tunnels. He also noticed that the monstrosity before him seemed to have a powerful aura, something very much akin to his own. Grinning, he charged forward and smashed his sword at the giant's hand just as it was about to lop off Constantine's head. The force of the blow made the ax miss its target, hitting the ground instead.

Dinnin grinned and retreating quickly. In this lightless void, the Exorcists and the Noah were in for a world of pain.

((You're now in a completely lightless space, so you can't see anything (until you make some light). Also note that I have not caused you damage from the fall... otherwise you'd be hurt :p. And Exorcists that come after this, Shady will guide you to the natural cavern. The exit will reveal itself if you beat Dharm))

[Fect]

Outside the Entry to the Crypt

His shield raised so that the axe didn't cleave him in two. But, alas, he was slammed against the wall, the giant's axe destroying the wall between the entry to the crypt and the treasure room.

[HP=1]

Jacques was slumped in the corner; One arm still raised high with the fire burning. He was knocked out, and he saw a bunch of small white lights falls. The world around him was fighting; and his vision blurred.

...Am I dead?

"Not yet. You're welcome for the help."

So I noticed I didn't do that little fire trick on my own.

"Well, at least you aren't dead," she sighed.

Then she appeared before him, but he couldn't look up. All he saw was a silver-lined white robe.

"Just hang on. You'll know what you desire, knowledge, after this ordeal."

Jacques sat in the corner, as 4 Crosses rose out of his jacket and stuck itself in the ground before him, covering him well enough for the rest of the fight. He used his one unbroken arm to unwrap both of his hands and use the old bandages to help stop the bleeding from his head.

There sat the two halves of the orbs, with curved marks that looked like Capital T's on the back of his hand that were seperate and the T pointing towards his arm.

Then began the long and slow process of moving all the rubble, while he held the fire in his hand. The others in the room faded, till there was only the one he tended to, then it left as well.

He only saw the flow of energy between all of them. The monster now held an axe, dark as the abyss, with a white outline.

A slash cut off the being's arm, and Jacques saw another creature of darkness, who had destroyed the light of the crypt.

[Wacer]

The cave they had fallen in was pitch back, But that was really no problem for him. Pulling out electricity from the air would be no problem. A host of magnetically charged pockets that he had formed in the air began to circle the room and the negativity charge air started to spark with all the excess electrical energy that it was now filled with.

He felt the movement of the beast and knew it was charging for the kill and Dimitri was just not going to have that. With a flick of his wrist and the room was filled with countless numbers of thunder dragons but unlike his normal black ones he had not mixed in a lot of his own energy so they where a brilliant light and lit up the whole room

"I found you" Dimitri called to the beast and brought down the whole flock of dragons right on the things head. A titanic explosion rocked the room as all in it where pushed back from the blast and just as fast as he had lit up the room it went dark once again. The storm electromagnetic energy bathing the room once more.

[damage given - 17]

[Ryuzaki]

"Damn this darkness..." I couldn't even see my hands in front of my face it was so dark. There was no source of EM waves for me to use... "O wait, that Exorcist... he can create EM waves with his parasite Innocence..." Feeling around to see if I found him, I called out his name and he responded back to my call.

"I'm going to follow your voice okay!" Following the confusing echoes from his faint voice I ended up no finding him at all. "Damn, looks like I'll have to yell out my plan now....! Hey Dimitri, use your electric powers alright I have a plan..."

Dimitri hesitated to listen to my directions, he obviously didn't want to do anything that I said. "Just do it already, we don't have all day...!" With that said, Dimitri finally used his Innocence and make a large amount of EM waves for me to manipulate. "Thank you... now I'll be back..." Converting the EM waves into invisible gamma rays, I used the waves and sunk into the solid ground, since I was able to go through any matter as long as I used this technique.

"Hmm, now to find a way out of this hell hole..." I decided to travel far left to see if I could find more ground to travel under. "Here, I think this is a good enough spot.." Immediately going up until forming on top of the surface, I ended up a few rooms before the second treasure room. "Well, atleast I know where I am... I wonder how those Exorcists are holding up now.." I walked to where the room was with the final tomb. I barely peeked in the hole to find nothing but emptiness. The tombs door was wide open so I was able to get inside of where our final destination laid.

Using the last of the gamma light I had around me I formed into the wall to avoid being seen by the guardian, and went into the room with the enormous tomb.

"Tch, we came all this way for this... well it better be worth it..." Reaching into my suit, I took out the long circular item that I showed Nicholas before. "Okay, wake up damn it!" I whispered to the item.

"L-Lero? Lero!? W-where is Lero, Constantine!?" Yes the item and the key to the tomb that I've been holding this whole time was, Lero...

"Quiet will you... Now be a good umbrella and open up this tomb...it's the Earl's wishes..." I glared at the sweating Lero who seemed unsure of what to do.

"Lero, Lero doesn't know if this is such a good ide-"

"Too late..." I shoved Lero's head into the slot that looked to be the key to the tomb that we've been searching for this whole time. The whole tomb glowed bright green and soon the floor around us. "Nice light show..."

Realizing what was going on with the tomb the enormous guardian leaped up to the where the tomb was and yelled from the top of his lungs at me. The walls trembled at his screams echoed throughout the halls. Using the little gamma light I had, I formed it into a bow once again, aimed at Dharm, let go of the bow and hit him in his arm this time, causing it to melt of his elbow and fall to the ground. I had no more source of energy to work with at all too, I was doomed at this point.

"YOU!! YOU CAN'T OPEN THAT TOMB!!!" The guardian continued to roar at me as if opening this tomb was the end of the world.

All of the sudden, the tomb slowly opened, the guardian back off a little as fine smoke traveled out of the tomb and to the floor, soon covering the entire room...


((You know what to do. I've left it completely open for the next part of this act to begin.))

[Tyekanik]

Theme
http://www.esnips.com/doc/5cdbec82-dcd6-4453-a49b-a69b728f65f0/01-ship-of-fools

Entering the chamber, which is gilded almost beyond belief, Constantine begins his approach through the room, stopping near the center. Sixteen feet to each wall, it had a squared shape. Torches had come aflame along the walls, and a large tomb rested near the back wall.

Cautious of any traps, Constantine took a tentative step forward. He could detect nothing, but wasn’t naïve enough to believe things would be so easy. They weren’t.

Rising from the ground before Constantine, a spectral figure shrouded in dark grey cloaks silently and suddenly rushed towards Constantine, each hand ending in three sinister talons poised to strike.

“Useless” mutters Constantine, as he sidesteps the outstretched hand, and literally destroys the specter with his radioactive blast. Still, looking for more of those creatures, he sees the shape reconfigure itself before him.

“Interesting creature, I’ll simply destroy you again.” Forming a sword of light, with the creature again rushing forth, they meet. The sword of light swings cleanly though the specter, not making contact. The clawed hands however, reach Constantine’s throat, and tear through left to right.

His lifeblood spilling onto the marble tiles beneath him, Constantine sinks to the floor.

Again

Entering the chamber, Constantine takes a step towards the center of the room. As he does the chamber that was previously lit by torches, linked to the opening of the gate by sorcery were extinguished.

A soft pricking sensation in the palm of his hand, Constantine readies himself for a battle, though the torches relight themselves one by one, again illuminating the chamber. Constantine is thankful for this, as he can use this light as he saw fit.

Looking at his right palm, which held the sensation moments ago, Constantine is surprised to see a faint line in his palm. To his severe shock, this line bulges outwards, and opens.

An Eye. An eye embedded into the palm of his hand, turns its impossible gaze towards Constantine. Forcing a large quantity of power through his arm and hand to destroy this, nothing happens.

The eyes accusatory and silent glare remains. From the corner of the eye, as if crying, a tenebrous black liquid seeps. From this liquid, scuttles a glossy black arachnid, small in size but with a very recognizable feature on its thorax. A human face, twisted in despair.

Turning to flee the room, these creatures pour forth from his own hand, covering his body and devouring him.

Again

Entering the chamber, Constantine stops near the center of the room.

"What...is this?"

Was it the room that wasn’t real? Or his new surroundings. Constantine was now standing at a riverside, watching cloaked, hooded figures carry people who were tied to large wooden crosses, into the river.

The cloaked figures did not even pause at the waters edge, but continued into it, submersing themselves. A continuous line, as if they were exiting the other side underneath the bank.

Moving back slightly, Constantine’s foot crushes a small branch. As if one entity, the progression stops, and turns.
They have no faces, only taut skin over a skull, the ocular cavities slightly visible, as with the nasal cavity. Dropping the crosses, they begin to shamble towards Constantine.

“To hell with this.” Readying his power, nothing happens. He has no power. Constantine’s abilities are that of a normal human. “Wha-?”

As the figures near, their jaws begin to stretch, tearing the seemless skin of their faces to reveal jagged, dirty teeth. Threads of what appeared like that used in a morticians parlor were visible, as if the skin that tore had been sewed together in preparation of death, however it didn’t explain the seamlessness.

Turning to gain distance, Constantine stops short. There is nothing behind him. Only blackness, as the earth seems to end a few feet from where he entered this hellish world. The figures don’t take long to cover the short distance, and Constantine is soon thereafter strung to a cross, and carried into the river.

Again

Entering the room, Constantine stops before the center, and places a hand to his forehead to clear his unease and get a grasp on himself. Removing his hand, he is surprised to find himself seated, in a symphony hall.

There is a full orchestra before him, playing upbeat music with crashes of sound and all instruments working in perfect harmony. At the end of the piece, the orchestra places down their instruments, and remove short, curve bladed knives from their clothing. Without hesitation or concern, they begin to meticulously slice pieces of flesh from each other.

“Simply beautiful, is it not?” There is a man sitting next to Constantine, enjoying the show. Turning a handsome face to Constantine, the man asks for his name. Seeing Constantine’s demeanor, the man places a hand on his arm, and says “Rest assured, nothing will harm you here. We are only here to enjoy the show. Gesturing to the ghastly stage, the man smiles warmly.

“Constantine , and what is all this?“ Gesturing in general to imply everything since he entered the chamber, the man replies - “Constantine? You are no normal human, you’ve passed my gate. You have entered my Veil of Illusory Death. It is the price of intruding on my domain. Now, what is you seek? Speak quickly, my time is precious.”

“The Earl, we are looking for someone. I might take it that you are him?” Shaken from the visions he had had, Constantine nevertheless appears in control of his senses. This pleases his host.

“Hahahahaha, the old sorcerer. Finally wants my aid, kept me waiting too. Never before has he woken me on his own volition, I’ve had to free myself. Nevertheless, the old warlock would always find ways to return me to my slumber. I couldn’t rightly complain though, I had agreed to such terms, stifling as they may be.”

Catching himself rambling, the man stands before Constantine, who also stands though it is more out of caution than respect – and the introduction is made.

“I am Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, you may call me Nero, Emperor of Rome that was.

Lero’s unlocking of the gate had simultaneously awoken Nero. I wasn’t supposed too, but Nero’s will corroded the Earls sorcery. The two men were once again inside of the chamber. Constantine, eager to leave the chamber, and Nero, eager to walk free, step out into the dispersing smoke.

[Fect]

"You know, he tried to wield me once. It seems that I weakened him enough. This is the knowledge you pursue: il a joué pendant qu'il brûlait."

...As it burned... You can't mean... He's supposed to have died 1800 years ago!

"Nero, the essence of madness. He knows better than to challenge me, or at least should. I won't reveal myself, but nor should you."

Constantine glanced over, and saw Jacques lying there, watching him with the hauntingly deep green eye. Nero glanced over, "What are you looking at?"

A pillar passed in front of them. Constantine distracted him a bit, "You'll see the world has changed quite a bit, but you'll be able to speak in your fluent tongue."

"Rident stolidi verba Latina," Nero snickered.

The guardian appeared in front of Nero and Constantine. Nero rose his hand and blocked the axe. The guardian then crumbled, and nothing more could be done.

"The world will once again burn, and you'll be part of the persecuted. This time, though, there will be no uprising. You and your allies are the resistance. The rest of the world will wait and watch."

Je crains pas une génération d'opinion différente, je crains une génération de comme occupé.

[Ryuzaki]

Somewhere Far From The Tomb

Enishi:

As minutes turned into hours of traveling and fighting along the Syria desert, Enishi was finally able to sheath Jinchu away for the time being.

"That should be the last of those damn walking carcasses... they're getting annoying after a while...." Rolling up Jinchu is his cloth, he put the sword behind his back and continued his journey. The sun was still as intense as ever and Enishi wasn't fatigued at all by the heat of the sun and the dryness of the this wasteland.

As Enishi continued walking along he saw a few suspicious looking people dashing through the desert. They were neither Exorcists nor Finders but Enishi was still suspicious about them. Why would a group of people be randomly jogging here in the hot sun at this time of day? And they weren't even wearing the proper workout attire.

With his great dashing steps, Enishi was able to catch up to them in a few seconds. The three strangers looked extremely shocked at the speed they just witnessed and stood there frozen.

"Why would a bunch of lame looking people like you being running around here, huh?" Enishi took out Jinchu and pointed the tip at the man's face, "Your answer better be worth my time because I've just seen some Akuma fly down to the hill where you guys came from..." The three of them looked at each other and grinned menacingly. "Tch, before I kill you, just where are you heading you damn Akuma scum...!?"

They started to transform into their level 2 Akuma forms, Enishi quickly dispensed the first two with lightening speed. The third Akuma female transformed into a large skeletal snake, she desperately tried to smash Enishi with her tail but moments later he ended up on top of her head without her even noticing.

"I'll ask again, where are you Akuma scum heading too, last chance until I make you suffer and die..." With a quick stab to her neck he sliced off half of her throat and jumped to the ground as she died a painful death.

"Tch, all this and I get nothing... what a pity..." As he said that, he looked up to the sky to see five level 1 Akuma flying towards the same direction these three were running off to. "Aheheh, I guess that is the answer that I've been waiting for... they're heading north too... that's where more Exorcists must be." Pushing up his glasses and slashing Jinchu through the air to wipe off the blood, he followed the Akuma at the same pace, hoping to find what he has been searching for.

[Toukestu Zero]

Zero went riding on his knife (By now everyone knows how its done) and zoomed in just in time to see the guardian crumble.

"The world will once again burn, and you'll be part of the persecuted. This time, though, there will be no uprising. You and your allies are the resistance. The rest of the world will wait and watch."


Zero stood at rooted to the spot. "What the hell does he mean?" He finnaly asked the trio. "And what was that thing?" He knew he was too late.

[Kabane]

Nicholas taps his foot on the ground. He leans against the wall with his arms crossed. Raphael directly across from him, seems to be sweating and anxious.


----------------------------
Just a few minutes ago.
----------------------------

"Make one wrong move Noah..." Raphael told Nicholas.

"You couldn't kill me even if I was bounded in chains." Nicholas laughed.

Raphael drew his sword and pointed it at Nicholas. "Do you think I'm kidding?" Rapheal pronounced.

"Do you think I'm kidding?" Nicholas replied. He took his water-sword and moved Rapheal's to the side.

A rumbling.

A large Monster had apparently appeared in the main room (Dharm) his roars and smashes echoing throughout the temple. Nicholas and Raphael looked at each other

"Another time then?"

Nicholas and Raphael dashed to the room. However one more unexpected thing happened. The ceiling came down in front of the only entrance and exit. They were trapped.

----------------------------

"Do you have a plan on getting out of here? Oh powerful Noah?"

"With as much water as THIS?" Nicholas raised his water sword again. "You're turn to do heavy lifting."

Raphael sighed.

[Fect]

Outside the Crypt Room

[HP=11]

”You’re the most apathetic and fearing one I’ve ever met. You fear not death; but you fear loss of control. But all I’ve seen thus far is your recklessness. I’ve even been healing you, and you’ve done nothing to remedy the problem.”

What does Nero want?

“He wants his freedom, especially from the Earl. He also desires his former power as a ruler. He may come seek me out, to find me again. Or he may search for other alternatives.”

What other Alternatives?

“Mostly, power over his seal and sleep. I have power over both, as does the Earl. But there is something that can break it; but it has not been seen for millennia.”

Well, we’d better grab Dimitri and get out of here.

“Stay away from the Dust.”

An image of death shone in front of him. The strange black and red energy flowed from the crypt. Jacques put Dimitri on his shoulder and lept, making nice footing on the ledge. The powder flowed and settled on the fallen floor. Setting Dimitri down, Jacques began taking various books. Hopefully one of them had an answer. Any answer would do.

“Why are you taking those?” Dimitri asked.

“We’ll need to do some research on our new friend when we get back.”

“What new friend?” Zero questioned.

“He sang and played as Rome burned,” Jacques replied.

Done picking up all the scrolls and books in the room, Jacques walked outside to hear banging against the rubble to his right.

Raphael appeared, and Nicholas walked out of the dust behind. Nicholas made a deep breath and began walking out.

“More than one thing has come out of the crypt, Nicholas, but you’ll end up staying here,” Jacques announced. His voice began deepening to a bellowing roar as he said the following, both of his eyes piercing through the Noah before him, and the small orbs in his hands shone, and a heavy cotton cloth unraveling, and a silver brooch appearing to connect the cloth: “Sentez la colère de cela qui a été libéré de son assoupissement.”

((Nero and Constantine should be right outside the crypt by now…))

[Kabane]

Jacques stops Nicholas just before he can get out the crypt.

"More than one thing has come out of the crypt, Nicholas, but you'll end up staying here." Jacques announced, followed by some gibberish in french.

"Sigh... I've had my fill for today please. I'd rather not have to fight." Nicholas continued to walk towards the exit.

"You're not going anywhere" Jacques said, extending his arm in the way of Nicholas. "Besides, what are you going to do with that measly sword?"

"Measly sword? Ha, look at your feet." Jacques looks down. He is apparently standing in one inch of water.

"Quoi?"

"Groundwater..." Nicholas steps onto a leveled platform, so as to not keep himself directly in the water. He knows full well of Jacques' electricity powers and won't give him an easy opportunity to use them.

"Do you still want to fight?" Though still not a great amount of water by volume, there's about as much water to fill three large bathtubs, Nicholas believed it was enough to take him out.

[Fect]

Jacques looked down.

"This isn't a battle you'll win easily. I'd rather let him pass."

Let's try for a hand-to-hand situation.

"You might be able to win. You'd know his moves as he makes them, despite any advantage he holds over you. Offer him. You won't really fight, but it'll give you time till Nero is long gone."

"Cura per un duello?" Jacques asked.

Nicholas looked over at the Exorcist, "This had better not be a ploy."

"I assure you, it's not."

Forming a rod, and Nicholas a sword, they began fighting, but not in the usual manner. "At least take out your contacts, they do you no good here."

Jacques saw the flow and excess of energy as Nicholas struck, blocking each attack well and effectively.

"He's not very strong, is he?"

Nope. He's fast though, I'll give him credit for that.

[Kabane]

Nicholas breaking became heavy. He had speed on his side, but he wasn't terribly strong. He wasn't used to the rigor of fighting with a sword all day. Nicholas and Jacques circled each other several times. Nicholas collected more water in his free hand, and formed another sword.

Nicholas and Jacques began to fight again, it was slightly easier for Nicholas to keep up this time.

"Tell me when you're done playing games."

[Fect]

"Tell me when you're done playing games."

He's growing bored.

"Seems so. But what will you do when he's ready to clean house? You're surrounded by water."

Can you heal me as I fight?

"I'll send a bit more to healing your broken bones and resetting them."

Jacques looked around. The Groundwater proved to be a problem. But slowly and surely, Jacques was using his own energy to cancel Nicholas'. He was down to about 2/3rds of the water that was there.

Let's begin setting the trap then.

Jacques let Nicholas' sword swing down, and made it seem like it surprised him. Blocking with a rune-cross, Nicholas drew back and Jacques dropped it into the water, rubbing his hand where the cross used to be. The cloak made a perfect guise for hiding his hand and its movement. Four more crosses were in his left hand, with which he had just blocked the blow.

As long as his movement is restricted, he'll be a much easier target to attack.

"Let me know when you're bored, it's more fun to fight someone in a bit more relaxed mood."

[Kabane]

"Bored? I've been bored."

Nicholas made more slashes and stabs.

"I've never been a fan of physical fighting anyways. It's so... barbaric."

All the while this all was happening, Nicholas was also concentrating on raising as much water to the surface as he could. He did not pool it in the same amount of water that already existed, Jacques would become suspicious, but he saturated the ground just inches beneath the floor.

[Fect]

"You should really stop with the facades, Nicholas," Jacques told him, smiling.

"What facades?" Nicholas replied.

"The contacts. And you're pulling more water to the surface. You'll end up killing the people of the town from lack of water."

"That holds no bar for me."

"Then I hope you don't me making a bar for you."

"Why would you do that? He'll gain control of the water in a matter of minutes, and you'll be exhausted."

That'll be long enough.

"Doesn't seem the most wise path possible. You know his energy flows in particles. Destroy those, because they lead the water. You know that's why you've been watching him so intently, while setting your own traps."

"Il surf è su, Jacques," Nicholas told him.

A wall of water came behind him. Jacques made a long, thin board out of his shield. "It's on."

"Quit fooling around."

Jacques moved towards Nicholas. As he passed on by, he threw the crosses. They pinned Nicholas to the wall, surrounding his wrists and ankles with a strong circular binding.

"Those will hold you there even if you knock the wall out. Consider yourself stuck until I'm far away."

The Entryway to the next room helped dissipate the wave, but it still crashed down on Jacques, then was absorbed into the ground.

Knew I should've just done what I thought I should've.

[HP=12; Damage Taken=4; HP=8]

[Toukestu Zero]

Zero made a surfboard with his level 2 inncoence, the knife, and sat on it. But even so he was still hit by the wave before the wave was absorbed into the ground. "That was dangerous, what would I do if I didn't have my knife! Scoop my way out?" He complained.


Health Lost: 3
Remaining Health: 32 - 3 = 29


Zero calmed down and took a look at Jac. "You look pretty hurt," he told him. " Do something about it,"

[Ryuzaki]

The South: A Buried Tombstone Arc - Completed

Earned EXP Points


Exorcists:
Jacques - 11 EXP Points
Enishi - 11 EXP Points
Raphael - 11 EXP Points
Zero - 11 EXP points
Dimitri - 11 EXP Points

Noah:
Constantine - 11 EXP Points
Nicholas - 11 EXP Points
Nero - 14 EXP Points


Akuma
Dinnin - 11 EXP Points